It has been a long time since I have been in my beloved Sierra Leone. Thanks to many nice people I have still managed to get some skirts back to Europe. Or at least get some orders done locally in Sierra Leone. That was great, I was so happy about that.

I am, of course, still in touch with my dear tailors and other friends and they are doing great. The wonderful and talented and hardworking Momoh graduated at a police academy. I can´t even find words, how happy I am.

NEXT TRIP: I hope soon. I am saving for the plane ticket at the moment.

June 5, 2014

Freetown, Sierra Leone – …I don´t even remember the day we met. It must have been four years ago now. Momoh was one of many disabled people, most of them polio and war victims, living in extremely poor conditions in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

…celebrating the Disability day – Freetown, Sierra Leone…

I spoke to these guys, we spent many hours just talking about life, how they were doing…and word gave a word and this young tailor, called Momoh, started to make skirts (and later bags and trousers) for me, and my friends, and friends of friends…
It has been quite a while now, since I have visited him for the last time, but we are still in touch and via travelling people we are still getting skirts and bags to Europe. Momoh is so reliable – one phone – call and off he goes – to the market, back to the sewing machine and at the day when agreed, he is always ready. Even though House of Jesus – well – most of Freetown as I recall, struggles with energy supplies – he manages to get it done and deliver the skirts on time.

…working…

And today is THE day. A friend of mine is traveling back to Europe, so the amazing young tailor grasped his chance. However difficult (very, trust me) for him it is to walk, he went to a hotel, where he agreed to meet the traveller, he just called me to say, he´s done it!

Today he made enough money to pay his school fees for few months…or to feed his extended family for weeks.
I am so proud and happy I have met Momoh. Every now and then, when I moan over this and that, I remind myself of this young guy, who nearly died, but managed to survive. Who was kicked out of the house, as there “was no place for cripples and y parents had other kids to take care off”, has problems with walking as his legs never fully recovered and lives in a way, that would be considered the edge of society….well…however bad his starting points in life were, whenever I call, he smiles, sais “no problem” and on top of that he is a real pro – he works his butt off and does his job really well!

Thank you for your interest. At this moment the next trip to Sierra Leone is still being planned :). At the moment I am not able to take any orders, however once my trip to Sierra Leone is confirmed I will post the information here.

Recently thanks to Alhaji Mr. Jawad Momoh (the tailor) is still working on more skirts and bags. Not long time ago I spoke with him and he was doing fine, happy to hear from me and looking forward to work on some more skirts.

How come there is so many disabled people in Sierra Leone? Well, there is a lot of debilitating diseases such as polio. But there is also loads of victims of the brutal civil war. (Read more about it here:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14094194 )

Momoh

Red T-shirt with a cool prints, a bit scratched but modern sunglasses. Momoh Sessay lives in a slum, but he makes sure to look his best.

“Not sure, what happened to me,” said the nineteen years old Momoh when I finally dared to ask him, what happened to his legs. They are weirdly twisted and Momoh faces real difficulty to walk.

“I was twelve years at that time and got sick. At that time we are living in a village, my parents didn´t have money to Freetown,” recalled Momoh. After his temperature dropped, he found out he couldn´t even sit up.

“The doctor told me, that I will never walk again,” shook his head the teenager. But he has a strong will. So he started to practice, to sit up at least in a wheelchair and he managed to walk with crutches.

Later he was even able to throw those away. “It was so painful,” remembered Momoh. But the nineteen years old is not bitter. ”Got wanted it for me,” accepted his destiny Momoh.

He then moved to Freetown to live with his uncle in Freetown, where he learned to be a tailor.

Now Momoh lives in one of the Freetown´s slums – House of Jesus. He is a joly character, always with a smile.

We can make great dresses, but we have no customers

In House of Jesus and the house in Ecowas street lives a lot of skilled tailors.

But I guess it is no surprise that the customers are in no rush to go to get their dress fitted in the slum.

one of the Freetown´s shantytowns

But still. You should see the dresses the Sierra Leonean ladies are wearing. So beautiful. Even me, quite a jealous individual I had to point out to my boyfriend to check them out.

And we , in Czech are wearing so boring unisex clothes. Shame and fashion police on us!

Long story short. My new skirt – photo – Facebook – friends – friends friends´. And the result? Loads of people interested to get the skirts. Not only in Czech , my local friends and expats got their fashion fix as well.